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Comment by zenovision | Hacker News Reader

So, my next smartphone will be iPhone, even if I prefer open source. AdBlockers are just too important. Not only they protect your privacy, but they also stop some malware programs that use ads for spreading. And don't Google & Amazon already make 30% from app sales?

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Hurry not, Apple did the very same thing last year: https://9to5mac.com/2017/07/15/apple-reportedly-shifts-app-s...

Applefans forgetting that Apple does as much BS are the best!

Please don't post unsubstantive comments here, such as sports-team-style BigCorp flamewars.

That’s not about adblocking but about using vpns for a purpose that is not a virtual private network. The general adblock system works in Safari as well as other apps that use web views though.

It's exactly the subject of this article. They even say so.

> as well as other apps that use web views though

Actually, they only work in the specific case of SFSafariViewController. This isn't available for any old webview to implement.

I was under the impression that Firefox Focus blocked ads in some other apps as well but that doesn’t appear to be the case indeed, at least not in Chrome.

Firefox Focus ships with a content blocker extension, I think, so it can block ads in Safari and third-party apps using SFSafariViewController. Chrome uses a webview, so the content blocker won't work there.

If we're talking about non-VPN solutions, then Android continues to allow several ad-blocking solutions such as browsers with it built in, or browsers like Firefox which run extension systems which support popular blockers like Ublock Origin.

Does iOS support custom browsers like Firefox running their own engine and extension systems? They never did when I was a user.

Firefox for Android supports uBlock Origin, which is the most efficient ad blocker for the web.

Safari's ad blocking is piss poor compared to it, because it is technologically limited.

We've changed the title above to the relevant phrase from the article, which mentions both Google and Apple.

(Submitted title was 'Amazon follows Google and bans system-wide ad blockers on their AppStore'.)

Don't run off so quickly.

You can install either:

DNS666: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jak_linux.dns66/

Blokada: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.blokada.alarm/

from the F-Droid store: https://f-droid.org/en/

And achieve system wide ad blocking, without worrying about Google's selfish policies.

Which of these do you prefer? I used fdroid but haven't installed a system ad blocker. I just use firefox focus which does a good job of preventing trackers and most ads but it's not perfect.

On Samsung phones you can get "Disconnect" or "SABS" or "Adhell" to remove ads systemwide (based on Samsung's Knox security thing)

I'm not sure I'd trust Samsung to act in your best interest.

I wouldn't. They forced ads into my tv after I purchased it.

Plus Samsung doesn't support is products. Last year I got a critical security update labeled july.. In December. And they have a bunch of garbage custom apps. Great hardware, poor service

and you can't even install a custom ROM to fix the software issues or it will cap your battery charge at 80%, among other annoyances

I'm actually running Blokada, but both perform the same function.

Blokada does track how many ads it blocks and gives you a count (and notifications if you wish to be so notified [configurable]).

Both are free (as in the GNU 'freedom' definition as well as the 'beer' definition) so you could try both and see which you prefer.

I've used DNS66, but I think I will give Blokada a shot. I really wish either one would offer the option of using DNSCrypt!

I have run AdAway for years. It works great and has great features such as auto-update of sites. It also lets you whitelist or blacklist additional domains locally.

Thank you for referring me to these. I went with Blokada and had no idea these existed, very happy!

I personally use AdAway https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.adaway/

It is a simpler design and works great. It works by adding mapping to your hosts file.

So why do you continue to use apps that are supported by ads, rather that patronize FLOSS apps, or apps that charge an up front price?

The answer is obvious: they want to freeload.

Everyone basically wants to exert just enough elbow grease to get something for free rather than contribute to the world they say they believe in.

"If you need ads to make money then your business should fail" is a common thing you'll hear among people who continue using sites/apps that depend on ads instead of investing in ones that don't.

If HNers can't even be bothered, then how is anyone else? We're going to be stuck in this status quo for a long time and the only survivors will be the large businesses that can afford it until the main websites people use are about as varied as our ISPs, maybe even the same.

That's root-only though, which the vast, vast majority of people don't do.

Check out https://blokada.org/index.html . Creates a VPN tunnel for your traffic and routes through a host file. Even let's you set name servers. Can't do that on iPhone necessarily. Root not required!

To add to this, because it's not immediately clear from your comment, the VPN tunnel runs locally on your phone.

I'd never heard of blockada, just installed it and it seems to work great! Thanks!

Thank you for referring me to this!

The problem is that on an iPhone you are locked into those applications in the Apple App store (unless you jailbreak). On an Android device, you can install 3rd party applications directly. AdGuard, for example, has a stand alone method for direct downloads.

Not entirely, you can sign applications for 7 days at a time without paying. Still an annoyance, though, for some.

Tools for example: http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/

EDIT: Someone thinks I'm wrong, can you explain why? Thanks!

I'm guessing you're downvoted because your implied solution is no better (and arguably worse) than parent's "unless you jailbreak". Regardless, it's not a solution for "normals":

1. Download and install Xcode.

2. Find the source code for the application you want. You know GitHub works, right, Grandma?

3. Compile, sign, and deploy to your device. Assuming it built without error, that is.

4. Aww, shit, Apple's signing process is still a hot mess. Best get to Googlin' on those validation errors!

It's still a valid solution is all. And there are tools available to make it easier for the "normals" as you call them. http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/

Generally, those that go down this path use a much more streamlined solution like downloading an IPA file and using something like Cydia Impactor (http://www.cydiaimpactor.com) to sign and install the app. It least, I think that that's easier than finding a kernel bug in iOS…

Do you need to pay Apple for a Developer ID in order to be able to do this?

No, you can do this with a free license as well. Impactor basically automates the tasks that Xcode's doing when it installs apps.

Nope! You don't even need to be on OS X. You just get limited by the 7 day signing period if you don't pay.

Nice :) Does it work with Linux or is “not OS X” only Windows?

Works with Linux. Binaries at http://www.cydiaimpactor.com

Does a developer license get you more than 7 days?

Yes.

> AdBlockers are just too important.

I mean you can still install them from F-Droid, especially if you prefer open source.

But its incredibly easy to install system wide adblockers on Android. Just get adaway from f-droid.

> its incredibly easy to install system wide adblockers on Android

I wouldn't call acquiring root access so that I can install a adblocking app "incredibly easy".

Blokada doesn't require root. Been using it for a while and it's fantastic.

…so it uses the VPN API, just like the apps that have been banned from the App Store/Play Store/Appstore. Adaway requires root because it modifies /etc/hosts.

>"…so it uses the VPN API, just like the apps that have been banned from the App Store/Play Store/Appstore."

Yes precisely. And that's not a problem because F-Droid doesn't ban these sort of things.

Apple bans system-wide adblock as well. Mobile Safari ships with adblock IIRC but that doesn't help with all the other random apps that want to show you ads. Meanwhile, despite Google & Amazon's changes, you can still install any adblock you want on an Android device without using a computer or paying for a signing key as you'd need to on an Apple device by just downloading the APK using Chrome and installing it directly. Alternatively, you could install an alternative app store like F-droid and then install & upgrade adblock apps through there.

I'm confused. Doesn't the article say that Apple similarly prohibits ad blockers from their app store? And besides, installing a "third party" apk on an Android phone is trivial, and there are third party "stores" like F-Droid which offer a myriad of open source apps. I seem to recall that Apple makes the installation of third party apps relatively more difficult. I have not used an iPhone in quite some time, so I feel that I must be missing something.

You do not have to go that far to that kind of apps, fou can check f-droid or fossdroid for free and opensourcer android apps.

Apple also blocks VPN-based adblockers from their appstore, and unlike Android you cannot easily sideload apps on iOS.

There's technically a way to do it, but you need to plug your phone into your computer and re-push them every 7 days, unless you pay $99/year for a developer license. Or jailbreak, of course, which has its own problems.

This is still available on iOS, amongst others:

https://adguard.com/en/adguard-ios-pro/overview.html

Of course, the limits on installing software on one's own device are still a concern.

Yes, but not for long:

https://adguard.com/en/blog/adguard-ios-1-3-0/

That article appears to be somewhat out of date; Adguard Pro is still available:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adguard-pro-no-ads-popups/id...

It is, but system-wide ad blocking is disabled by default. You need to manually add filters subscriptions or hosts files in order to get it back. Not that it's much of a problem, though.

Does adding said hosts files require a jailbroken device or are the files added in the app?

The files are added in the app - it seems to work well, though I’ve seen reviews suggesting that some users have been confused by it.

I believe this is about blocking ad-blockers that work outside of the browser. As in, in apps, which are solely supported by those ads.

I believe Google shares the 30% cut with the telecom companies but not sure what the actual split is.

why not firefox for android + ublock?

on phones, ads are not limited to your web browser

Try Librem 5.

Easy to not have ads on a theoretical phone.

The above was about the next device. So it's one option.

You can also install something like Plasma Mobile today on Nexus 5 if you really want to have a proper open source option.

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